Use mailboxes to organize emails on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch

With Mail, you can create mailboxes to organize your emails or use Smart Mailboxes that sort emails automatically. You can also create shortcuts for mailboxes, reorder them, and more.

What's a mailbox?

A mailbox is a folder that you can use to sort your emails in. In the Mail app, you can use standard mailboxes—like Inbox, Sent, Drafts, and Trash—or you can create custom mailboxes. If you want the Mail app to sort your emails automatically, you can also use Smart Mailboxes.

To find, create, and manage mailboxes for your email account, open Mail and go to the Mailboxes list. If you're in the Inbox, tap in the upper-left corner to see your Mailboxes list.

Sort emails automatically with Smart Mailboxes

A Smart Mailbox gathers all emails that meet certain criteria, like unread emails or emails from VIPs, so you can find them in one place. The Mail app automatically sets up Smart Mailboxes for you to use.

To show or hide Smart Mailboxes, tap Edit in the upper-right corner of the Mailboxes list. Then tap the Smart Mailboxes that you want to see and tap Done.

Tap a Smart Mailbox, like Today, to see emails that meet that criteria.